Link's Journey
by Mahrahia
Summary: This story starts where Link left off in OoT, when he was returned to his own time by Princess Zelda after saving Hyrule. Link not only remembers his adventures as an adult, he actually went out of his own way to avoid running into himself after his past
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Now!" said Saria. "Shoot him!" Link released the slingshot and the deku nut shot at the Ganondorf dummy with intense force. He launched one after another trying to hit the head. He missed twice, and then shot it. The head seemed to wiggle when the last deku nut shot. Link stopped and stood staring at the dummy. Saria walked over to the dummy and blew at the head, and then the head fell off. Saria walked over to Link and pat his back with a smile, saying, "Good job! Now all you have to do is try shooting with the boomerang and then you are set to go out into the world…and…" Saria looked down, and her eyes began to water. Tears started to flow from her eyes and fell on the forest floor. She frowned but did not let Link see. Link bent a little down to see what was going on, but Saria prevented that from happening by quickly wiping away the tears and then looking back up with a smile. She remained quiet for a few moments, which made Link a little nervous. "Saria?" He gently put his hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her, but she looked at him with such sad eyes that he felt like crying too. He smiled and his eyes narrowed a bit, in a positive, don't-worry-everything's-going-to-be-alright way. Saria's face lightened up and she smiled. In her mind, she wished she could keep him here forever. "Let's just keep practicing shooting, ok?" said Saria. Link felt a little guilty for this because he always wanted to go outside into the world and he couldn't because he knew that Kokiri would die out there. He sighed and smiled, then said a simple "Yes, Saria." The day continued with the slashing of Link's sword against the dummy and Saria's cheer and coaching.

"Whatcha doin there, fairy-less?" said Mido as he walked onto the grass and didn't notice Saria behind him. He walked to Link, and smirked with an evil smile. Link made a face and narrowed his eyes. Saria walked in front of Link and said, "Mido, what are you doing here? We're training here! You can get hurt if Link's not careful!" Mido jumped back startled at Saria's voice. He looked at Link and then smirked. He then walked closer to Saria and frowned, then asked, "Why are you helping him? He has no fairy! And I thought you didn't like fairy-less people." He then kindly walked past Saria and poked Link's shoulder. He frowned and narrowed his eyes and said in his ear, "Saria's not going to always be there to protect you. So I guess you should start finding a fairy, Mr. No Fairy." Link pushed him aside and glared at him, then said, "I don't need a fairy to kick your arse!" Link walked past him and took Saria's hand, softly saying, "I think it's time we left to a more quiet area for training." Saria nodded and glared at Mido as she and Link walked away into the Kokiri Forest. Mido's eyes shrank and he looked down at the ground in shame of what he did in front of her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter II******

Mido just stared at the ground, his face going bright red and his desire to shrink into nothing to avoid her. Saria's eyes were glowing green and an aura was glowing around her, making it look like she was angry. Link mustered a feeble "eep!" and took a few steps backward. Mido looked back up and noticed Saria looked arousing in that stance, but immediately realized that he shouldn't be thinking things like that. He gained some reassurance and then stood tall. It didn't make a difference because he and Saria were the same size. Saria looked straight into his eyes, blinking occasionally--and still waiting for an answer from him. He looked funny, trying to say something but couldn't for a few seconds. "Um...yeah...sorry about that Saria...I'm just, uh...having a bad day..yeah...so I guess this is my cue to leave now...yeah...see you later, Saria..." He walked away, and when Saria turned to face Link, Mido turned too and made a rude hand gesture towards Link. Link's eyes glowed red and he felt like charging after him. The only thing holding him back was Saria and her scary aura. That seemed to scare him more than Mido or any monster he faced. Link mustered a "grr" and pointed at Mido, then Saria turned to face Mido and said, "I thought I told you to stop bothering us!" Then Mido flinched and ran off. Link was thinking of a good way to take care of Mido later, when he had the chance.

"Link? Link!" Saria was waving her hand across Link's face, trying to get his attention. Link was daydreaming and didn't notice the hand in front of him. He thought he was in a dreamworld, like in majora's world. There were the trees, and there were the skullkids. There was the one skullkid that was alone and had a different mask besides all the ones in the area. The wind was calm, and the atmosphere was different. Then all of a sudden everything disappeared and he saw Saria's hand in front of him and said, "Sorry about that. Was I dayreaming?" Saria just looked at him for a second before she said "Yes. What were you thinking about?" and put her hands in her pockets. Link thought for a moment and then remembered the different world he traveled in. He was thankful he found a way back to Hyrule from that infernal area. He sighed and said, "I was just thinking of something that happened a long time ago." Saria's eyes narrowed playfully and she elbowed Link's shouldersoftly. She snickered and said, "I bet it was about you and Princess Zelda, right?" Link raised an eyebrow and smiled at Saria's antics to cheer him up. "Of course not!" Saria took that as a definite no and backed off for that subject.

"Let's go finish the training, ok? Or should we go somewhere private to talk?" she said. Link put his hand on her shoulder and smiled. "Let's go to the Forest Temple. No one will bother us there. We could talk and train there all we want." Saria smiled with such a style that Link couldn't help but be sad that she'll never be able to grow. Such facts hurt. He sighed and walked towards the Forest Temple. Saria followed close behind, daydreaming about what Link would say if she could grow like Link and get older. She imagined herself as more mature, bigger and more shapely. She smiled, and wondered what Link would look like. She imagined him mature-looking, muscular, tall, more attractive and wearing the same green clothes. She couldn't help but muster a small squeal at the thought. But, she frowned again and knew that such a thing would not happen. Link continued walking, and asked, "What did you squeal about? Is there a mouse?" Saria laughed and said, "No! Something else. I'll tell you when we get to the Forest Temple."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter III**

As Link and Saria kept walking deeper into the woods, they noticed birds and other creatures as they walked past. It was alkwardly quiet for them...not to talk and here they are best friends... Link wandered for a while, trying to find the right hole to go in to find the Forest Temple. He wandered closer to a dark whole that didn't seem so trustworthy to pass through. Saria thrust her arms forward and pulled him back and the both of them fell backwards, landing on the grass. "Link, you have to see where you're going. Didn't you see the darkness of that whole? It was a false pathway. Next time I go walking with you, I should ask Navi to come along. She would be of more help than I. Come this way." Link sighed and got up after Saria and followed her into the long maze of the forest….he felt weird for following a girl around but it also gave him the advantage of looking at her posterior as she walked farther into the maze, and closer to the entrance of the Forest Temple. Link couldn't help but stare at her…she had grown..but that was impossible…either she was wearing extra big boots or she was growing….how could this be possible? He gawked at her height…it grew..but only a little like an inch or so. Oh, happy day! She's growing! Link felt so happy she was growing…now he and his best friend can grow up together and…well…stay like that. He reached for Saria's shoulder when she stopped and turned—and his hand touched her chest instead of her shoulder… Saria's face went bright red and she shoved Link's hand away from her. "Link? What do you think you are doing? Keep your hands off!" Link's face turned red and he gasped. "Saria…it's not what you think…I didn't mean to do that! Besides, why did you stop?" Saria's eyes glowed, and then she had a "I-had-something-to-tell-you-but-you-ruined-it" voice. "I stopped because I saw the entrance to the Forest Temple. And stop acting so weird before you get something worse to worry about."

Link gulped and did as she said. "Damn, you've got issues. What happened to the sweet kind Saria I knew?" Saria glared at him and sighed. "I've been like this ever since you left. It's been like hell because I kept getting stalked by Mido. Seriously, I could have locked him into the Lost Woods and left him there, but I didn't have the heart to do so…and what a mistake it was…I'm so glad you came back. It's about time Mido's ass got wupped." At the end of that sentence, Saria turned and continued walking towards the new maze that stood in the way of the Forest Temple.

"Saria? Are you sure you know where you're going? There's an awful lot of boulders moving around in there…are you sure you don't need help going through?" Nothing seemed to happen for those few seconds. Saria just turned back to Link and smiled…something wasn't right about that smile, Link thought. It was sad, depressed and had no spirit…there had to be something he could do to cheer her up…but what? The last thing he remembers was what Mido said after he time-traveled seven years: "If Link ever does come back, tell him that Saria had feelings for him." It was something like that, Link thought. Wait a sec—did he mean "feelings" for him? He slightly shook his head and saw Saria walking into the maze. He dashed towards his friend who was walking into the entrance of the maze.

"Saria! WAAAIIT! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT'S IN THERE!" He was wrong. She seemed so agile when she dodged the boulders and raced to the rise for the Forest Temple…how did she learn to be so fast? And who taught her? Something's going on, and there's no way that he's going to miss out on it.

"Saria?" Said Link as he ran through the maze and dodged the boulders Saria didn't seem to hear him. She was already at the Forest Meadow. With the boulders out of the way, he walked up to the meadow, panting. Before he could reach the top, he heard a scream. "Saria! What's wrong?" and he didn't hear from her. His instincts took it as something bad happened. Then he heard maniacal laughing. He ran up to the meadow to see two Sarias; the one Link's been following and the other one that seemed smaller than the other Saria. The smaller Saria was laying face-down on the floor, with blood spoiling out from her shoulder. Link's eyes lit up with rage and sadness…he lost his best friend…or at least he thought it was her…he was sure that it was her because the other Saria's hair was a little darker and longer than the one laying dead on the floor. There was silence…dead silence for a moment, and all that was heard was the rolling of the boulders and the maniacal laugh of the alternate Saria. Link's fists clenched and he drew his sword. "Prepare yourself! I don't know who you are, but you sure as heck ain't Saria!" The little kokiri child laughed and discarded her green hair, and her clothes. This was no Kokiri…she had long red hair and her eyes turned blue. She looked eerily familiar to Malon, but it couldn't be her because of the odd clothing…

"Stupid Link…did you think I was Saria all along?" And that voice…so familiar…wait a minute…who is it talking anyways? Link thought for a minute and figured it couldn't be Ganon or Phantom Ganon…maybe Malon but she's grown-up and wouldn't do anything like that…could it be Ruto? Nah, Ruto's got that stinky fish smell and her skin's a dead giveaway… what about one of the other Kokiri girls? That could be possible…All this was thought up in a few seconds, yet it felt like a lifetime. Link was still ready to sever the girl's head off, but still asked something.

"What's your name, girl? Are you a Kokiri?" The girl just smiled menacingly and her eyes glimmered. She walked over to Saria's dead body and kicked it. She shouldn't have done that, because Link was pissed off. Link's eyes glowed and an aura circled him, making it look like he's powering up to attack first.

The girl noticed this, and stopped. She still smiled and said, "Yes, I'm a Kokiri. My name is Salia. I'm the one who worked to help Saria and the others to build your tree-house. I'm the one who told the others how to decorate and design the house…and yet they kicked me out because I had some ideas for the Kokiri that they resented. I had an idea—it was to make weapons for killing instead of self-defense. And that Mido sensed that I was trouble…Saria too. It was when you were still a baby when they banished me to the Lost Woods. I knew my way around there so I didn't become a stalchild. I walked around, looking for a way to get back and noticed you…it was you I admired, because you had at least one best friend. As you grew, I watched and wanted to have you more. I know you're still a child, but when you grow into a man, I will still want to be with you. And my rival was Saria…she had to die, so I lured you into the Lost Woods and the Forest Meadow to where Saria was swinging on that tree…I just wanted to have you, and Saria was in the way of that. It meant she had to die."

Link's eyes just glowed and the aura around him glowed and increased. "You…YOU BITCH! HOW COULD YOU KILL MY BEST FRIEND? YOU'RE GOING DOWN, CRAZY BITCH!"

With that said, Link charged forward and did his kai-ten-giri attack. Salia jumped and dodged the attack, then threw something at Link's face. It was too slow, so he had time to thrust his shield up to guard his face. Salia landed on Saria's carcass, then tripped and fell. Link charged and shot his light arrow he got from Termina Field. He shot it and it hit Salia. She staggered for a few minutes, giving Link time to pick up Saria and bring her to the Forest Temple's entrance. He lay her there, and shed some tears to show respect and caring for her. He kissed her forehead and jumped down from the entrance to finish off Salia.

"Salia…you're going to die no matter what you say or do to prevent it! I'll make sure you die slowly and painfully!" After he said that, he shot the Fire Arrow and Ice Arrow at her while she was still staggering. The Fire Arrow hit her right arm, burning it and making her shriek, while the Ice Arrow hit her left arm, also making her shriek. Then Link tackled her and beat her as if it were Mido he was fighting. Punches and hits landed on Salia, making her look like a pincushion. She kept crying and screaming, trying to get Link off of her and to get the fire and ice to stop.

"LINK! Why do you hate me? I want to have you! Why can't you accept that?" Link heard her but didn't pay attention to it much. He kept giving her the one-two on her face. He said, "I hate you because you killed my best friend! I don't care if you want to have me! You're not going to! And I accept that, but for what you did to get me is going out the window! DIE!"

Link charged with all his might to strike Salia and she dodged…remarkable how a kokiri girl would have such agility. It didn't matter now—all that mattered was killing her and sending her to the other world.

"You're never going to catch me if you're that slow, Linkiepoo!" Link's face turned red with rage and embarrassment with what she called him…but that didn't matter at all. He thought, "The only thing that mattered was Saria's avengement and nothing else"…he couldn't just abandon her after all that happened…he also wanted to show her a song he made up for her…and his chances with her were all dabbed away by Salia…that whore… she's going to get messed up before she dies…slowly…

The war went on—Link's charging spin attacks and shooting arrows at Salia, while she just dodged playfully and smiled as if he were playing with her…with the second charge, Link rammed her into a tree and was about to take his sword out to behead her, when she wrapped her arms around him—obviously preventing him from taking the sword out or do anything else. She giggled and kissed him. Link just did all he could to resist, and Salia was just all up in his face kissing him and closing her eyes as if they were making out. Link's eyes glowed with fury and struggled until she was finished so he could ram her head into the tree and cut her up into pieces…

"Hey, Fairyless! I thought you might need this shield in handy for the training, and…"

It was Mido. He was staring at Link's back as Salia had her arms around his neck and her legs around his…at first Mido thought it was Saria making out with Link, so he turned away and scoffed, "I thought you were training, Mr. No Fairy. Saria, how could you? I thought you liked me!" And Link just pushed against Salia further into the wall, and didn't care what happened as long as he was going to kill Salia and avenge Saria's death. Salia tried to kiss him, but he refused and instead of kissing him on the lips, she kissed his neck. She let out a frustrated sigh and still hugged him.

"Salia…what the heck are you doing?" Then after he ended that sentence, he thrust her away from him and sent her flying into Mido. She crashed into him and Mido fell backwards next to the entrance. Mido seemed quite pleased because he thought Salia was Saria and she was unconscious while on top of him. Link smirked and said. "There's your girl, Mido. And no, I don't like her anymore. You can have her."

A smile streaked across Mido's face as he heard those words. "Hehe…now Saria's mine and she won't be meeting you anymore, Fairyless!" Link made a fake voice but did his best to make it convincing as he said, "Oh no! How can I ever live with myself if I don't have Saria? Woe is me…" Mido just enjoyed every second of this. He was eating it up like fruit. Link just pointed to the entrance of the Forest Meadow where Mido was standing in front of and said, "Go. I don't want to see you two again. Please."

Mido smirked and left very happily with an unconscious Salia on his shoulders. Link would finish Salia off one of these days…but not today. Saria was far more important than her. Link walked back towards the pedestal of the entrance of the Forest Temple and used the hook-shot to reach it. In a second he flew up there and kneeled down next to Saria's lifeless body. Her face had gotten paler…and her eyes had no glow in them…her face was still and cold as stone…she was like a forest angel…a fallen forest angel…

Link wished she was alive…he longed for her smile and laughter again…it wasn't fair…she didn't have to die like this…and she's a sage…there had to be some way for her to be revived…the ocarina…maybe that would work—but would it? He reached into his shirt and pulled it out. He played the Song of Healing, and waited…and waited…but nothing happened…

"Please live, Saria…" with that he silently cried and a few whimpers mustered out of him, but it didn't help much. Saria still didn't move. Link's tears ran down the ocarina and dropped off on Saria's face, dripping down her face and landed onto the ground next to her. Link played the Song of Healing again, and waited…but nothing happened. He stopped and stroked Saria's forehead, then said, "What can I do to get you back to life?" He suddenly thought of something: Zelda could help, but then there's that fact that she can't leave castle walls. Malon…now she could help, since her cows give Lon Lon Milk. Lon Lon Milk gives back energy…ok! Now that he knows where to go, how is he going to leave Saria like this?

He picked her up softly and walked into the Forest Temple, walking to the pedestal and laying her there. She seemed almost immortal, in the light of the temple and just the color of her hair just glowing, with fairies surrounding her… There was no time to waste. He left her there, in the protection of the temple and forest. "Soon, Saria…soon I'll find a way to bring you back to life…"


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Link already knew what to do since he has been through all that before. All he needed to do was go to Malon and get Lon Lon Milk. But what would Malon say? Would she say "Who are you?" and would he have to give his name to her (again) and then would she call him Fairy Boy? He had to know. It's been a while since he saw her.

"What should I do? I know Malon's going to like me…but I like Zelda. Zelda's the girl for me. Or is she? Oh well, I may not have a girl—yet, but playing the field does have its advantages…I've been through all this at least once, and almost every girl I meet is after me…Malon, Zelda, Ruto, Nabooru, Impa…maybe her…but I'm not taking chances it's her. Anyways I know most of the sages like me…heh I'm lucky they're my friends—or they'd be fighting over who'd be mine. I have a lot to think about—I'm only ten years old. If I can't decide by the time I'm 17, I'm screwed."

Link thought more while he walked out of the Kokiri Forest and went to Lon Lon Ranch. He continued to walk to the ranch, thinking of Malon's response to his appearance. He wished his partner Navi was there at his side to help him through this predicament…but she was gone, and his main quest was to find Navi. He'll find her sooner or later. The important one here is Saria. It was morning when he got to the ranch, so all he found was Malon singing in the center of the corral. She seemed immortal there, never changing…but that's what to be expected since he traveled in time so much. He sighed depressively, wishing Saria were alive. Malon seemed to notice him and stopped singing. Link walked closer to Malon, as he usually would, making pitter-pattering sounds with his boots. Malon was startled by his appearance because she had never seen a Kokiri child out of the Kokiri Forest. She giggled and pointed at his hat. Link said, "What's wrong with my hat?" Malon jumped back a little, since it's the first time she heard a forest child. She asked, "What's your name?" Link casually responded, "Link." Malon giggled and smiled. She said, "Link, is it? That's a good name, but I'm going to call you Fairy Boy because of your green clothes! Where is your fairy?"

Link remembered he wasn't supposed to come here because his past self would be walking through this place and meet up with Malon. "Now I've done it…" he thought. Since he was too far ahead into this, he figured he'd just go along with it. He answered, "My fairy's not with me, but that's not important right now." Malon looked puzzled as to why he said that.

"Ok, then." Link asked her if she wanted to practice shooting arrows and riding horses, but she laughed and said that he's too young to ride a horse. At that moment Epona came trotting towards Malon. She petted Epona and smiled at Link. "Do you want to learn the song I sing to Epona to call her?" Link shook his head and said, "I'm sure the song goes like this, right?" He took out his ocarina and played Epona's Song. Malon's eyes just popped and her jaw dropped. "But…but…that's my song and—you just got here! How could you learn the song that fast if you haven't even been here?" Link stopped and nervously laughed.

"Well, I just listen to you singing from outside the ranch. I hope I didn't disappoint you." Malon's eyes went back to normal and her jaw re-adjusted to her face. She thought for a while, then looked at Link and smiled. "Ok, Link. Since you like my singing, can you do me a favor and go to Hyrule Market and find my father? He's been away from home for a while and he was supposed to bring back Lon Lon Milk. I'd be mighty disappointed if he was not doing his work. Can you go find him and send him back home? Please?" Link smiled and said, "Of course. I'll go be on my way then." Link turned to face the exit of the ranch and began to walk when he heard Malon say "Wait! Don't go yet!" Link turned and stopped. He looked at Malon with questioning eyes, thinking what she'd want.

"Um…come with me." Link nodded and said, "Where to?" Malon pointed to the mill close to the corral and walked towards there. Link followed close behind. When they got there, Malon opened the door and walked casually inside, looking at the crates behind the cows, who were eating a pile of hay. Link wondered why she led him here and asked, "Malon? Why are we here anyways?" Malon smiled coyly and pointed to the crates that seemed to be covering a man-made hole.

"Can you help me move these crates, please?" said Malon. Link gladly agreed and helped her move one crate at a time to a different area. When they could barely see the hole, Malon moved the last crate a little to the side so only one person could fit through to the hole. She squeezed inside and crawled into the hole. Link watched and followed after her. When they got out of the hole into the other side, it was cozy. It seemed like a nice hiding spot for when Ganondorf or someone would try to find them.

"Malon, what is this place? It looks really cool to hide in." Malon smiled and answered, "It's my secret hiding spot. It's good for anything—well, almost anything. You can't bring animals in here because they won't fit into the hole. What do you think? I also made this spot for a special reason." She pointed to the pile of hay in the corner and lay down on it. Link sat down with her and thought, "This haystack sure is soft and comfortable." Malon suddenly hugged Link and was soon on top of him.

"Don't leave me…please…I want to stay here with you…it would be ok if you stayed here for a while, wouldn't it?" She stroked his face and fluttered her eyes, then came closer to his face until they could feel each other's breath. Link blushed a bit and said, "Um…this is a little close to be talking, isn't it?" He chuckled nervously and smiled foolishly. Malon pressed closer to whisper in his ear and said, "I know. I'm not going to talk. I'm going to do something else." After that, she closed her eyes and closed in to kiss him. He moved his face a different direction and instead of kissing him on the mouth, she kissed him on the neck. She softly suckled his skin and licked it. She looked up and pulled back.

"What's the matter, Link? Don't you like me?" Link just stayed quiet for a moment and then answered. "Of course I do. But not like that. There's……someone else that's there for me. I'm sorry. I shouldn't be doing this…" he got up and crawled out of the hole, then walked out of the mill. Malon followed and said, "Wait! Can't you stay? Please! I want to make it up to you!"

Link stopped and turned to face Malon, whose hair was frizzled up from moving so much and trying to tempt him. He smiled meekly and said, "I have to go." He walked on to the entrance of the Ranch and didn't turn back. Malon, by the way, was just embarrassed and wondered if he would come back to her. After all, he did learn Epona's song and that's proof enough he'd come back to get Epona.

As Link wandered the outside, he thought of going a different route that would be hidden. He thought of going to the castle…how'd he get there in a different route? I guess he'd have to play Minuet of the Forest to get some money and buy different clothes. Saria…if he played that song one more time he'd cry from the event where she died. And the worst thing he felt was that he could have stopped it. Damn that Salia. She's to die for Saria's murder. He already tortured her enough to get her unconscious and left her to Mido to take advantage of her—he knew that Mido was beyond his time and knew about committing adultery. He wouldn't take advantage of "Saria" like that because he knew it would be too soon for something like that, and he liked her enough to respect her—but since she was knocked out, he can't help himself. But still it would be something Salia would regret.

As he wandered into the town, he looked around and saw food sales with crowds of people gathering around. All this food had made him hungry, since he heard his stomach growling. He rubbed his stomach and said "Just wait a little longer. We're almost there." He looked around to see the people gathering even more, and decided to go find a good spot to play his ocarina. He saw the town square and decided to play his ocarina there. There was a fountain in the center, spouting water elegantly as if an artist were painting with strokes. Link walked up to the fountain and took off his hat, then put it down next to him. He took out his fairy ocarina that Saria gave him previously before he left. Zelda had the ocarina of time, so he had to stay with the fairy ocarina until he got the other one from Zelda. Link thought, and remembered a song that he learned when he was in Ikana canyon. The professor and his daughter were listening to music that was from another dimension. Like himself, he was from a different dimension, but he understood what it was that they were listening to.

The song was festive, and it was sung in an unknown language. Whatever the language was, it was pretty good. It appeared to be a man singing. He sounded like a mix of singing and talking. There were several instruments involved in the song. There wasn't any ocarina, chorus, banjo or harp used in the song. It sounded like there were other men like him that were singing because they all sounded alike. They kept saying this sound "Yeah!"

flashback

"Professor, what is this music? It sounds festive, but I don't understand the words." The professor laughed and explained to Link that the language was English. It was different from Hylian but some words he understood. The lyrics of the song were translated to Link and he tied that to the song, then said an astonished "Oh. So that's what they were singing." Emily, the daughter of the professor, said that it's one of her favorite songs. She also said she can sing the lyrics of the song in Hylian so he can understand. As she sang, he tuned in with the song and nodded his head in rhythm. The song was catchy.

He tried to remember the rest of the song, but he didn't know the rest of the words. The song was good too. If only he could get people to work for him. Or he could just use the Elegy of Emptiness to make copies of himself. That would work. He asked the professor if there were any more songs that were like the one he heard before. The professor said there's an almost endless stream of music that is in that language. Just that if he wants to get music from a certain singer, he'd have to look for a singer named Usher. The professor gave Link a machine that plays the song on a circular disk. It looked awkward and had these two ropes that connected with the ears, and had buttons on it. It was called a CD player, says the professor. He taught Link how to use it and gave him extra batteries that recharged themselves in the rays of the sun.

"Now, Link. Don't lose this CD player and don't lose the CD inside. You'll need it for when you can't think of any songs to play. This will also help with other things. I've put 26 songs on there so you can listen to them—and here's a list of the artists that sang each song from each number. When you want another CD, give me a call, ok?"

Link wondered why he was given so many things, but he took them seriously and put them away in a safe area with all his other weapons, items, bottles and boots.

"Thanks for the help! I'll be sure to visit later if I can!"

end of flashback

He asked a couple people if they had any musical talents, and asked if they could follow along with a song. Out of all the people he asked, only 5 people knew how to play instruments, and 2 others had the voices and memory to follow along with Link. The band people followed along and got the song right. He motioned for them to go to the fountain and play the song when he gave the signal. There weren't any other artists singing or playing music, so he'd have all the kids to listen first. He wished he had something to project his voice and one of the band people gave him a device that made his voice louder even when he wasn't yelling. He looked again and it was a person who looked like the professor. He knew it couldn't be him, but more like a parallel universe look alike. He began to sing the song, and the band followed. Along with the song, Link began to get these rhythms that were awkward in his dimension, but normal in the one the professor was talking about.

Link's voice also sounded good when he tried to sing the song exactly like Usher, and the two guys that sang like Ludacris and Lil' John made it sound very good. Even though he wasn't Usher, he sure felt like it. The first people who noticed him and the band people playing the song were the kids and some girls. The girls were laughing and giggling at Link, and winking at him dreamily. One of them giggled and blew a kiss towards Link. He looked puzzled, but didn't pay attention much because it would get him to lose concentration. It seemed like they were flirting with him while he was singing and dancing. The kids were dancing along to the song and made "oohs", "ahs" and "ohs". Soon the adults no longer paid attention to the food sales and paid more attention to the music Link was singing and dancing. The adults even threw money into his hat and before long, almost at when the song was over, his hat was spilling full of money. The audience was applauding and throwing money at Link. He bowed and said, "Thank you all." His band members also bowed and said 'thank-you' to everyone. The crowd gradually decreased until there were only two girls. One of them had shoulder-length hair that was dark red and the other with short ice-blue hair that ended at the neck in a spiked style. Her hair was spiky and pointed out at the ends. The other girl's hairstyle was rounded to make it look like an upside-down bag from the back. The girl with red hair was a little shorter than Link, and the girl with ice blue hair was the same height as Link. They were equally beautiful, and were dressed in odd clothing.

The one with ice-blue hair said, "Link?" Link didn't hear her and dismissed the band people, giving them each a fair share of the money. They each said thank you to him and ran off.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The ice-blue haired girl said "Link" again but louder so he could hear her. This time he did hear her. He turned around and jumped back at their appearance. The ice-blue haired girl had awkward clothing: she had boots like Link's but they were cut off from the ankles and were jet-black with white strips of cloth in the center going like zigzags from the ankles to the toes. She had white cloths on her feet. And she had a royal blue shirt that medium cut for her shoulders and the sleeves were sticking to her body. It had a weird sign on the chest area of the shirt. The shirt covered most of her stomach except for the bottom where her navel showed. She didn't wear a dress…it looked more like the drapes of a room and she wore dark blue shorts. They were extremely short. They looked like 5 inches above the knees to be exact. They were mostly covered by the side skirt though. She also had a hair extension that looked like a light blue rope extending from under her hair to above her ankles where her hair stuck out. Her eyes were hazel and her skin was very well tanned. She looked like she wasn't of this world, but her human appearances were questioning.

"Link? Is that you?"

The voice sounded very distinct, and at the same time soft. Link answered "Yes. Who wants to know?" and looked at the other girl with dark blue shoulder-length hair. Her hair looked so manageable and freshly cut. It had short bangs that covered her eyes a little. Her eyes were flaming red, and her ears had golden loops around them like Link's ears when Impa put an earring on him. The earrings were two times larger than his and they were coated with small diamonds. She wore clothing that was similar to a Gerudo but it was a different color and style. The pants were red-brown and shoes were the same, but her shirt was sticking to her body and it did not have sleeves. The decoration on her shirt resembled the decorations on Malon's shirt sleeves but the color was white on a purple-fading-to-red shirt. She also wore a vest with small marks that resembled the ones on Malon's dress. The vest was a shade lighter than the shirt, and the sleeves were open. She had a sword at her side, and wore a shield with a similar emblem to Link's. The sword looked custom-made along with the armor. The lining of the shield was white, while the rest of it was a shiny grey. Her skin color was almost as dark as a Gerudo but a darker shade of brown was the only difference. The tie for her hair looked like the Goron's Ruby from Goron City. It was gold on the markings and brown on the rest of it. Link stared at her the most because of her uncanny resemblance to a Gerudo. Plus, her clothes were quite revealing for someone of her age.

Link looked at the girls in awe and questioned "Well?" to the girl with ice-blue hair. She said "Pardon me. I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself properly. I'm Crystal, and this is Ruby. I hope we didn't startle you. I don't blame you for staring though. We're not from around here, so it's natural that we seem weird to you. Please come with us, Link. We have lots of things to talk about."

Ruby smiled and winked at Link. He returned a confused look. She sighed and said, "Come on. I know the way to the Zora Temple's entrance. I know you do too, but I want to lead the way. Follow me. " Link nodded and followed Ruby and Crystal to the entrance. He casually took out his ocarina and was about to play Zelda's Lullaby when Ruby said "Stop!" He put his ocarina away and asked her why she said that. Ruby said, "We're not going _into _the Zora Temple. We're just going to sit here and talk. It's the safest place to talk privately isn't it? Link nodded and sat down with his legs sticking out on the edge of the land in front of the waterfall. Ruby and Crystal sat down with their legs crossed and faced Link.

"Um, so how is it here in Hyrule?" asked Crystal nervously. "It's ok. I kinda miss the Kokiri Forest though." said Link. Crystal sighed dreamily at Link and smiled dreamily at him too. She asked, "So is there anything we can do to help make you feel better?" She smiled after saying that, and Ruby followed. Link sighed to himself and thought, "_God. These girls must really like me. What should I say?"_ He closed his eyes and thought for a while…when he opened his eyes again, Crystal was sighing dreamily and Ruby was smiling coyly. Link said, "Well, you can help me in my adventures and help keep me company. It's boring being all alone while having to deal with staying out of sight of my past self. So are you with me?" Crystal shot up first and screamed, "YES!" and Ruby jumped up and down, giddy as a schoolgirl. Link nervously laughed to himself and put his hand behind his head, with a sweat drop come down. He knew this was going to be a tough journey.

He got up and was about to leave when he felt something on his legs. It was Crystal and Ruby clinging onto him. He sat down again and they talked to him all about where they come from. Link was fascinated by the information they told him. They had come from a world called Earth, and it was inhabited by thousands of animals, but no Gorons, Zoras, Hylians, Kokiri, Gerudo or Deku scrubs existed on that planet. The kingdom, or country as they called it, was Japan. Millions of people lived there, but the area is cramped. Many people know of Link, but as a character in a videogame. Videogames puzzled Link, but as Ruby explained more, he kind of got the hang of it. So he was a fictional character in their world, was he? And the name of the game was The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. All this flattered and saddened Link. He was known in their world, but only as a fake being. He would prove them all wrong if he came to their world. And Crystal explained to him the government, currency, and lifestyle of their country. It was similar to Link's lifestyle except for a lack of air quality. If he were there, he'd have the healthiest lungs in the country.

"Crystal, if these people know of me, then why do they not know of the others? Surely they know of the Sages of Time, and the races here in Hyrule, do they not?" Crystal squealed at the sound of him saying her name, but she answered after.

"Well, they all think you're a great hero, and some girls think of you as an ideal boyfriend for them. You should see all the girls that swoon over your very image. Me and Ruby are sort of your fans but we're not that pathetic to just want you and do nothing about it. That's why we went here to talk with you and take some souvenirs. But only a cluster of people know you. The rest of the world doesn't even know your name. They'd either call you Zelda if they know the name of the game, or just stare blankly and ask who you are."

All this fascinated Link, and as the Sun began to set into dusk, the conversation went on until late at night. All this made Link wonder, why he'd even consider saving Hyrule. He remembered why, and knew that his reason is nothing new to Crystal and Ruby. He got up, and looked at the two sleeping girls. _"They're so young, but wise. They would make great advisors in Hyrule castle, or good advisors in the Kokiri Village."_ thought Link. He took a liking to Crystal and Ruby, but knew he must continue his search for something that would bring his dear Saria back to life. He began to walk away when he heard the girls stirring, and waking up. He continued to walk away until he heard Ruby say "Hey. Why are you leaving so early? It's still morning. We still have so much to talk about—hey wait! Don't leave! I know how to revive Saria! HEY!" Link ran up to her and put both hands on her shoulders.

"You can revive Saria? Why didn't you say so?" His face was excited and he smiled. Ruby smiled back and said, "You never asked." He laughed and hugged her gingerly. They could revive Saria now…YEAH! Link let go of her and jumped up in the air, saying "WOOHOOOOOO! YEAH! IN YO FACE, SALIA! IN YO FACE!" Ruby was surprised he said "yo" or "yeah" but from the way _they_ talked, it must have rubbed off on Link.

Crystal, meanwhile, was listening to an Usher CD. She started to sing the song Link sang and danced to the music. Link stopped jumping to stare at her and his face seemed surprised. He asked, "You know that music? The song I was singing…you know the words to it?" Ruby answered for Crystal, saying "Yeah."

Link smiled in amazement. _Wow, they know the song! And I wonder if they could dance the music…_ Crystal was still listening to her CD, and then it changed to another song. It started a little slow, but then it sounded sadder than like the song where everyone said "Yeah!" Link looked at Crystal for a little longer, and then asked Rubi, "Rubi? Tell me more about reviving Saria." Rubi gave him an embarrassed look saying as if it were something that he wouldn't do in a lifetime—3, even. The song from Crystal's CD was still blaring, with Crystal moving to the rhythm (she changed the song to another one that had a beat to it.) Rubi blushed a nice shade of pink and she closed her eyes as if saying, "Erm…eheh..it's too sudden." Link gave her a puzzled look and implied for her to continue.

"Well, Link…what you have to do is something that you wouldn't believe. I don't know if you would or wouldn't believe it. But where I come from, it's also a little weird." _This is getting us no further than when we started…_ thought Link. Crystal took off her earphones and turned off her CD player. She sighed with an air of "Gosh, Rubi. Tell him already" about her. She obviously wouldn't have any trouble telling him.

"Ok, since Rubi won't tell you directly, I will. You have to make an alchemy circle and offer something in place for Saria. It could be the fairy ocarina that she gave you, or your hat or clothes. It wouldn't matter. As long as it is related to Saria and it has great sentimental value. And I'll also add that you have to give her energy when she is revived. Since she's been dead for a while, she'll need some energy to start with to get around. The only way you can transmit energy is through the mouth, since that is the original area where the body receives energy. In other words, you'll have to kiss her. Still following me?"

Link's face turned a flaming red at the thought of Saria and him…kissing? Well, he doesn't have innocent eyes anymore. But, the thought of him and Saria kissing still made him happy.

"Oh, and one more thing. We need these ingredients to help make the alchemy circle, and here are the locations." She took a paper out of her bag that hung from her hips, and gave it to Link. He looked at it carefully, and scoffed at the locations to find the ingredients.

"—Wha…But that's crazy! You mean we have to go to Death Mountain, the Spirit Temple, the Zora's Domain, the Lost Woods, and Lon Lon Ranch? Seriously—Lon Lon Ranch…I understand the rest but Lon Lon Ranch…" Crystal tried to stifle a laugh since she never heard nor saw Link act this way. She stifled a chuckle and said, "Well, you'll see. For now, we have to rest."

"Speaking of rest," said Rubi, "We have to go find a resting area for now. How about that small room behind the waterfall next to the entrance to the Gerudo's Fortress? I like that place. Or maybe that small hiding place in the barn at Lon Lon Ranch…or maybe over at the Kokiri village…you decide, Link." Link gave it some thought, and a minute or two later, he said, "I've decided. The waterfall next to the entrance of the Gerudo Fortress. I would have picked the little room in Lon Lon Ranch, but what if Malon walks in on us? After all, the past me could be there anyways."

"Why, that's a splendid idea!" said Rubi. She and Crystal started walking out of the Hyrule Market and tugged Link along until he walked after them on his own. They all knew where the waterfall was so they took their time. Dusk was nearing, and the girls grew worried.

"What's the matter, girls?" asked Link. "Well, it's the Skull-children we're afraid of. They pop out of the ground to attack you at this time, so we're afraid that they might pop out of the ground and grab our feet." said Crystal. Rubi nodded, and hung onto Crystal's right arm, with a worried look on her face. Link just smirked at them and said, "Don't tell me you're afraid of old fossils like them, are you?" The girls nodded. "Come on. Let's hurry to Lon Lon Ranch and hide in the barn until the coast is clear, ok?" The girls nodded again, and this time they ran full speed towards Lon Lon Ranch which was a fair distance in front of them. Link trailed after them, trying to catch up. He got there, panting. Crystal and Rubi were already in the barn and in the small room that was behind the crates of Lon Lon Milk. When Link got in, he saw Rubi putting the straw together to form a big mattress for her to sleep on. Crystal lied down next to her and said, "Can you keep watch while we're sleeping?" Link nodded and thought, _Sure, why not? I helped everyone else in Hyrule that's needed my help so far. Why not them? They seem like good girls, and they also have the answers to reviving Saria!_ Link went to the hole to keep watch. The CD player that Crystal had on was still blaring music, but the song was calm. This helped pass the time for Link, who didn't have the luxury of listening to music whenever he pleased. Wait! He remembered something! What if Malon came in to try and find him? If she saw him with two other girls that were lying down, she'd get the wrong idea. Oh well, he and the girls were safe anyways, since Malon knows that he went to Hyrule Market. He started to doze off, and dreamed happily. The three goddesses only knew what he was dreaming about.

When he woke up, he looked at the girls and they were still sleeping like babies. He went out of the barn with great carefulness, and noticed that it was noon since the sky looked so clear and the sun was in the middle of the sky. It was neither to the east nor to the west. It was in the center. He went back into the barn, into the hole and shook the girls by their shoulders to wake up. As Crystal's first reaction, she flung her arms around in front of her, and caught Link. She gave him a French kiss, thinking he was someone else. She dreamily moaned, and Link pushed her away from him. He said in a soft voice, "Crystal—wake up!" Crystal stirred, and opened her eyes. She blushed a bright pink and said, "Oh my gosh, Link! I'm so sorry! I thought you were Aoshi!" Link didn't pay much mind to that and just said, "It's alright. Just warn me before you kiss me again."

Rubi was still sound asleep and this time he shook her gently, cautious to dodge another kiss if she reacted like Crystal. Surprisingly, she didn't. Link moved a little closer to Rubi and tried to shake her a little more. Her arms were at her hips, so she looked like a corpse. But her reaction was a little worse. She instantly lifted her right hand up and grabbed at the air. Link's face turned bright red, since he didn't know about Rubi's reaction. (What she grabbed when she grabbed at the air was Link's crotch. She didn't squeeze, more like caressed.) Link slapped her hands away, and Crystal cracked up. Rubi finally awoke, startled. She opened her eyes to see Link with a face so red she would easily mistake it for a Valentine's heart. She got up, and asked, "Link? Is something wrong?" Link just nodded and said, "Yeah. You need to work on your reflexes because you grabbed my crotch when I tried to wake you up. If I didn't know better, I'd say that you did that on purpose." Rubi giggled at the idea and reassures Link that her heart belongs to another in her world. "Well, I'm in your world, so what he doesn't know won't hurt him, right?" She smirked and reached for his crotch again, but Link slapped it away.

"I don't think that would be appropriate. If your heart belongs to someone, it should stay that way." Rubi frowned, and then smirked. "Well, alright." Crystal, as usual, had returned to listening to her CD. She stared blankly at Rubi and Link, since she couldn't hear them. Link got up and said, "Well, it's time we went to the Gerudo Valley. We can't risk my past self seeing us. Let's go."

The trio carefully exited Lon Lon Ranch without a single person noticing. They ran like the wind to the Gerudo Valley. Giant plant monsters chased them, and Link hit them with his slingshot. Rubi tried to get some with her sword, but she was too preoccupied with where she was going. Crystal just led the way to the Gerudo Valley until the monsters just stopped following them. They ran into the gates, and crossed the board that acted as a bridge and stopped at the bridge that was guarded by Gerudos. Link asked Rubi and Crystal, "Do you know how to get down?" And the girls nodded. They took out what seemed to be big sheets that were square. Rubi told him that they were parachutes, and he asked what a parachute was. Rubi laughed and said, "A parachute is like the chicken that you use to help you get down to places that are too dangerous to just jump down on. Understand it now?" Link nodded.

When they got down there, Crystal took out her CD player and handed it to Link. She said, "Listen to this. It's really nice." Link put the speakers on and listened. Nothing happened. "Hey, how come I don't hear anything?" Then it just occurred to Crystal that the CD Player wasn't on. Crystal gave a nervous giggle and turned it on. Strange music seemed to play. Link asked, "What is this music? It's nothing like the music I heard you listen to before." Crystal said, "It's Goodnight Julia by Cowboy Bebop." Link gave a puzzled look and stared imploringly at Ruby for an answer. Ruby sighed and said, "Goodnight Julia is the name of the song you're hearing. Cowboy Bebop is the group of people that played that song. Understand?" Link was still lost, but nodded since he understood it a little more now.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Rubi's Journal

Journal Entry 1: Day 5

This morning's been quite well. Nothing's happened since we've arrived at Link's hiding place. Link's been a bit of on the lookout for us since we're new to his world and everything. Link's so different from what I expected of him—then again, he is a videogame character. But we're in his world and it seems, smells, feels and sounds so real. I wonder what Princess Zelda will look like? But then we'd have to get past the guards and everyone else…and get past Impa…who knows? Maybe we'll see Nabooru. I hope we meet everyone so I can take their pic and claim to my friends that I've met Link—no wait…that'll make things worse—I know—I'll say I met a cosplayer and took my pic with them! Yeah! That'll work for sure!

Rubi kept writing in her journal, while Crystal slept lazily with her feet sticking out of the hideout and getting hit by the waterfall. The hiding place was bigger than they expected—it's like a 8x8 room, but no windows, no air conditioners (besides the waterfall) and no T.V. to watch…just listening to Crystal's CD and recharging the batteries with the automatic solar-powered recharger (small enough to fit in your palm and can recharge 2 batteries at a time) and there wasn't much to do. Link was dozing happily on his side, facing the wall. Rubi looked at him nostalgically, wondering how much time until something happened.

Rubi then continued writing in her journal. She didn't notice that Link wasn't asleep, but he was thinking. Link just stayed there, pretending to be asleep, and Crystal was dozing off, making snoring noises.

"What will happen if Rubi and Crystal are captured by Ganondorf's goons? How are they going to help me revive Saria?" thought Link. He couldn't get her out of his head. He couldn't take it any longer…so he suddenly decided to stand up without warning. It startled Rubi a bit because she thought he was asleep. Crystal startled from her sleep too, but just awoke abruptly and looked around with sleepy eyes. "Why aren't we going to Spirit Temple now? Shouldn't we be going? And what do we need to get from there?" Rubi replied, "Hold on. Just lemme get the list out—no wait…this is OOT, so I think you'll need a fairy—no wait…we're good. Ok, now on to the Spirit Temple! Link asked, "What will we need in the Spirit Temple?" Rubi answered, "Well, some sand to make the process foolproof. The sand there is sacred, and we'll need Nabooru's blessing to help—oh, come on, Link. It's not like you and Saria are going to get married." Link just stared at her, with a raised eyebrow and a startled expression, but didn't say anything. Crystal was already out of the hiding place and on the ground below them. The waterfall was pretty loud, so she had to scream louder to get her point across. "HEY! I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE GOING TO THE SPIRIT TEMPLE, AM I?" Rubi and Link looked down at her and immediately went after her, to go to the Spirit Temple.

A while later…

They were at the Temple, walking into the doors when Rubi heard something flying out of the darkness. She yelped and ducked down, while Crystal let out a startled scream and fell backwards. Link didn't have time to react, and saw what it was coming out of the shadows—Nabooru. She was lunging at him, arms outstretched and in a matter of seconds, Link was in her arms. She apparently seemed to be stroking his hair and smiling with a goofy look on her face, clearly not like her usual self. "Nabooru? Are you feeling alright?" asked Link, blushing slightly because his face was against her chest. Nabooru let out a content sigh and looked at the fallen girls who were wide-eyed at the scene. "OMG how cute!" said Rubi. "Where's a camera when you need one?" said Crystal, searching her purse for a camera. A moment later, she took it out and said, "Say 'cheese'!" and a blinding flash attacked Link's eyes. He closed his eyes after the flash and asked, "What was that?" while still in Nabooru's arms. He couldn't help but enjoy the feel of her against him. He wished for Rubi and Crystal to just leave them alone for a few hours…but he knew he couldn't tell Nabooru that he was the Hero of Time 7 years later. He just hugged her back and enjoyed the moment.

"Nabooru—you're—choking—me!" said Link as he tried to get out of her grasp. She obviously didn't want to let go. Rubi and Crystal watched in awe as Nabooru caressed his hair. Clearly this wasn't the notorious Nabooru of the Gerudo tribe. Link felt her chest smothering his face and he managed to take his face out and draw a deep breath. He pushed against her and she gradually let go. "--It's good to see you too." Nabooru straightened herself up and looked down at Link. She exclaimed, "I was just glad to see someone else than myself."

"Well you're sure doing a great job of letting him know you're happy," said Rubi. "The poor kid almost got smothered to death! But that's not the point here. Hi, my name's Rubi and this is my friend Crystal." Crystal smiled and waved. Nabooru simply looked at her and nodded.

1 hour later…

"Phew! Thank the Great Fairy that's over!" exclaimed Link. He had no idea how he was going to convince Nabooru to give him the sand.

Flashback

"Let me get this straight…" said Nabooru. "You want me to give you sacred sand? For what purpose?" Rubi and Crystal looked back at Link, unsure of what to say, then looked back at Nabooru. Crystal piped up, "It's to help make this plan fool-proof so it'll all go well—nothing bad, mind you--" Nabooru raised an eyebrow suspiciously, but it lowered again after that quick remark. "Hmm…ok I guess I'll give you a handful of sand since I'm feeling generous—on one condition," she smirked and said, "You girls take your sand from that room upstairs—get on the pedestal and it'll rise up to the second floor. Go on—not you, Link. You're staying with me." Link's happy-go-lucky smile faded. Rubi and Crystal giggled as they got on the pedestal. As they ascended, they chimed, "Have fun!" Nabooru smiled and waved. The pedestal rose up into the ceiling and closed. Now she had Link all to herself. "Great Fairy, help me now…" whispered Link.

End of flashback

He looked back at the entrance to the temple, and saw Nabooru a bit disheveled. She waved goodbye to him and the girls as they walked down the steps and onto the sand. They walked straight, then turned a corner and dashed to the Fairy Fountain. With no one in sight, they unloaded all their things. As Crystal and Rubi put their things down, they noticed Link was quite pink in the face. "What's wrong? Didn't enjoy yourself?" asked Crystal. "It was nothing a child and an adult shouldn't do," replied Link. "Besides, what would she want with--" Rubi interrupted with a "Hold on, Link. That is a load of fairy dust. You saw how she wouldn't let go and how she looked at you. She obviously wanted to do something with you. Tell us. We won't tell anyone—besides, we're not of your world anyways so…no one will know we know you. Tell us what happened with you and her when we went to get the sand."

"Well…personally I'd do her and milk the moment for all its worth but let's face it: I'm 10. She's…actually I don't know how old she is, but I know she isn't 14. Anyways, as soon as you two got to the second floor, she chased me around the temple trying to get me. I didn't know if she wanted to cuddle me or do anything beyond that but I wasn't going to take any chances. I bounced off the walls like a boomerang, while she pursued me like a cat after a mouse. It felt like an eternity, running away from her. I'd throw things in her way, and she'd keep coming. That's why you guys saw her kind of messy. Don't get the wrong idea we did something else, because we didn't."

Rubi and Crystal sat there, absorbing what they've just been told. "Are you really telling the truth, Link?" asked Rubi. "Sounds to me like you didn't want her near you at all! Did you even look at her? Come on, I know I'm a girl but that doesn't stop me from noticing when someone's better-looking! I mean, look at that figure!"

"It's not her figure that pushed me away," said Link. "…It's just…I don't know."

The girls looked at each other and sighed. "Ok then," said Rubi. "Since that's over with, let's check to see if the other Link's at the temple already.

a while later

As soon as the other Link left the Spirit Temple, the trio set out in the hot sun towards the exit to Gerudo Valley. Along the way, Rubi pestered Link with questions like "What's the rush?" and "It's not like we're being followed."

"I'm not in a good mood, ok?" shot back Link to Rubi, who kept asking why Link wanted to get this business over with.

flashback  
_Early morning_

"EEEEEEEEEEYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

Crystal nearly shattered the rock of the cave with her shriek of terror. Link was not stirring. Rubi, who had a lump on her head—resulting from Crystal's sonic attack causing her to jump to the ceiling—staggered to see what the fuss was. She let out a yelp and leaned in closer to examine Link better. She placed a hand on his neck to feel a pulse, dreading the worst but then realizing he was in a deep sleep. A very deep sleep, at that.

Link was dreaming about the last few moments he spent with Saria while she was alive. He couldn't help but blame himself for not being able to protect her from her untimely demise. That moment of despair was relived every night since then. He vowed to never let that bring him down from accomplishing his goal to revive Saria. In the middle of his dream, he heard a distant shriek that gradually became louder till he could feel his eardrums ringing in pain from the noise. He drowsily opened his eyes to see a crying Crystal beside him and Rubi trying to convince her he wasn't dead.

_drowsily_  
"What's wrong? Why are you crying, Crystal?"

In hearing her companion alive and well, Crystal opened her eyes and saw through her tears a worried Link and instantly lept into his arms, squeezing him as if he were to disappear in an instant.

_choking  
"---Crys----tal---you're---cho--king--meee!!!!"_ In a few seconds Crystal had loosened her grip and ceased her sobbing.

"I'm sorry, Link! It's just that I saw you not moving and I thought you were dead!!!"

Link turned his head towards Rubi, who reluctantly nodded and explained how she checked his pulse to see if he was alive or not, and how Crystal couldn't hear Rubi's explanations over the sobbing.

"I wasn't dead, I was having a dream...but enough about that, we wasted precious time. Let's go on to the next destination."

end of flashback

The desert winds weren't helping the situation, either. Even though Link had no trouble transporting from one area to the next, he couldn't help but think that he might appear in front of his past self. He decided to take that chance, after all he wanted to get everything so he could once again be happy in the Lost Woods.

Meanwhile, Rubi took out the list of ingredients and began to check off what they've gotten.

"Let's see...crap. We only have 1 thing….crap crap crap….."

_"We only got to one thing. This isn't good. If Link doesn't do something quick, Saria will really be dead. She doesn't have much time left,"_ thought Rubi. She thought up a plan: while she goes to the lost woods to find a couple fairies (the reviving ones), Crystal could go to the Water Temple and gather special water. Link could go to the last place on the list and they'd meet up at the…where would they meet up?

"Crystal! I need to talk with you for a minute."

The arctic-haired youth crept back to Rubi without Link noticing, and raised her brows as in a "What's wrong?" expression. "I think we should split up," said Rubi. "What?!? But I thought we were buddies!" cried Crystal, whose neutral face began to frown. "Not _that_ split-up! I mean we have to separate to get the ingredients much faster. If you've noticed, we've spent more time hiding and running around than getting the ingredients. Even Link's complained that we're moving too slow."

"Even I've complained what, now?"

To be continued


	7. Chapter 7

Zora's Domain

_Rubi's Journal_

_It's morning...I think my watch says 4 AM but it looks like 2 AM. I'm starting to miss my family and friends back home, but no worries. I'll record everything that happens in Link's world and bring them stories of our adventures. Anyways...I can't believe Link caught us! "Even I've complained of what, now?" Man I can't get that out of my head. I'm so glad I'm a mellow person otherwise I'd be screaming like a rabid fangirl at Link's every move. I can't wait to go to the Zora's Domain and see all the Zoras! I just hope they let me speak to their king. In the game, Link's supposed to have gotten the 3 jewels to unlock the church in the town square. But then the Link we're with already did that...and all we have to do is restore Saria to life--how did that happen, exactly? Link didn't really bring himself to explain in detail the cause of Saria's untimely death. She has to be revived not only for Link's sake, but for the game to continue--if Saria's not to be the Forest Sage, then I wouldn't want to find out who would be the one to replace her! Anyways it looks like all 3 of us are going to have to go to the Zora's Domain, since Link did not like the idea of us separating. Speaking of the devil, he's awakening. If only I were single!!! (sigh) Oh well. I'd rather be his friend than his ex. I hope Crystal stays loyal to her boyfriend, no matter how tempting it may be to get Link to act more out of character than he is now. _

Link barely opened his eyes when he saw Rubi putting away the diary. He raised an eyebrow and drowsily sat up, narrowed eyes focusing on Rubi.

"What are you trying to hide, Rubi? Something I shouldn't see?"

Rubi just smirked at him, replying, "Yeah...something like that. Hey, I've got an idea that'll probably make this trip faster--you don't want to come back and find Saria's body in shambles, right? Oh--sorry, Link! I didn't mean it that way! You know how something decays when it's dead right--I shouldn't have said that--I'm sorry, Link! I'm trying to make it as painless as possible!"

Link's eyes remained still and his eyebrows slightly furrowed. Sure, Rubi was trying to tell him something but she kept referring to Saria as if she was someone common and insignificant.

"You're not making things better than they were before."

"I'm sorry, ok? But let's take this conversation somewhere safe were no one else will hear. I need to tell you my plan and I want to hear your opinions--uninterrupted. Ok?"

Rubi got up from her seat and took Link by the hand, helping him up. They went outside in the moonlight towards the Fairy Fountain, dodging the monsters that inhabited the area. When they arrived, they immediately ran to the right of the fairy fountain, all the way to the far end. That way, even if the other Link were to come, he wouldn't notice them hiding behind the pillars.

"So, what is is that you've wanted to tell me?"

"Well, I've been wondering if we could travel the whole time instead of traveling during the day and resting at night. You know--no pit stops unless it's an emergency. We've done this much, but I feel that we're not going to make it in time before the other Link gets the Master Sword and starts time-traveling. If Saria is not alive by the time the Adult Link returns to the Kokiri Forest, he won't be able to progress--get ahead--to save Zelda."

Link took some time to absorb what little Rubi said and remained quiet. Neither said anything, and the silence continued for half a minute. The floating fairies could be heard in the background, with their glowing bodies reflecting off the water and catching their attention out of the corner of their eyes.

"So, you're saying that we're just wasting time here? What are we waiting for? If we've got what we need then we should get moving."

With that, Link got up and walked stealthily towards the exit of the Fairy Fountain, with Rubi tagging along.

Crystal was still sleeping when they came back. When Rubi attempted to wake up Crystal, she merely waved the hand off her shoulder and grunted. This time Rubi shook her with both hands and with more force.

"WAKE UP!!! WE HAVE TO GET GOING!!!"

The trek was on.

*meanwhile at the Kokiri forest*

Mido was very happy that Link resigned Saria as if he knew he'd never have a chance with her. Now that Saria was free from the grasp of the fairy-less boy, Mido could become good friends with her. That friendship could grow in time…but he didn't want to wait so long to tell her he liked her. What was this feeling he had? It wasn't the feeling one would have for a member of their kin, or a friend. This was different. It was just before dawn and all was silent except for the running water and the occasional snores. Everyone was still asleep. Mido kept thinking on his bed, planning how to impress Saria with his swordsmanship and other antics he could come up with.

"I wonder what Saria's doing? Oh wait--she's sleeping, duh. That sun better rise already, or else I'll go crazy! I have to talk to her, and clear things up if she's still friends with Link or not!"

Minutes passed. Ten, fifteen, twenty…it was torture. The sun was barely beginning to light up the forest when the noises returned. Birds began to sing, the kokiri children yawned and opened their windows, and a familiar tune played in the background.

"Awake already? She sure is quick."

Mido got off the bed and changed into a clean set of clothes since he realized he smelled like dirt. It wasn't very hard to change since all his clothes were identical (he never learned to make different clothes). So much for variation. Maybe if he washed his face, that would be enough. He got a clean-smelling pair of clothes and almost ripped them apart in his haste to put them on. He looked in the small mirror, fixed his hair (mostly by running through it with his hands) and went out the door. He scanned the area for any signs of Saria and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her walking out of her house towards the tunnel to the Lost Woods. _"No doubt she's going to her favorite spot,"_ thought Mido. She walked at a faster pace than usual, but her playing didn't change. _"She sure is in a hurry. No matter. I'll catch up to her soon enough."_ Mido sprinted towards Saria and caught up to her by the time she reached the mouth of the tunnel.

"Saria! Wait up!"

Mido reached for her arm and Saria turned to catch his, with a smirk on her face.

"I was wondering when you'd get the hint," she said. _"Hint? What hint? All I did was return her to her house after Link beat her up and asked the others to help her recover. I'll ask."_

"Uh, Saria, what hint are you talking about? I'm coming up blank here."

She let go of his hand and put away her ocarina. All of a sudden, she flung both arms forward and seized Mido's hands, pulling him towards her into the tunnel. Everything went black behind him. In another second, he was in the Lost Woods, following Saria's pull. The lighting of the forest eventually came into focus and the scenery was as bright as before. Saria let go of Mido's left hand and walked at his side, holding his right hand.

"Come on. I'll tell you when we get to my favorite spot."

Saria led the way, pausing only a few times to look at the tunnels to make sure she wasn't getting lost. Mido followed, confused by this new attitude. _"Has she always been like this? Or was it that fairy-less Link who changed her? I don't remember her being this forceful. Or is that because I never played with Saria the way she did with Link? Huh. Now's my change to ask before I get confused even more."_

"Um…have you always been like this?"

Saria walked slower now, and turned to face him. She had a smile on her face and started to giggle, then swayed Mido's hand back and forth.

"What are you talking about? I've always been like this. You just didn't get to know me that well. Look, we're almost there. You don't have to worry about the wolves. I took care of them a while ago."

"_Huh. Guess I was wrong. Oh well."_

They reached the clearing and climbed the ladder to the top of one of the walls. From there they ran to the stairs, jumping over the corridors that stretched like a small maze. When they reached the top of the stairs that led to the Forest Temple, both Mido and Saria were exhausted. Saria stumbled toward the stump and let herself fall flat with her back on the stump. She stretched out and relaxed there, while Mido fell closeby with a soft thud.

"That was fun, wasn't it?" said Saria between breaths. Her eyes were closed and she seemed to be calming down very quickly. Little fireflies flew around the two Kokiri as they rested from their sprint up the stairs. After a few minutes, Saria got up and looked over at Mido, who was still sprawled beneath her feet.

"Can you stand?" she asked.

"…nope, I'll just stay here where it's comfortable."

Mido had his eyes closed so he couldn't see what was going on. All he heard was Saria sit upright and stand up. Then he felt something brushing his lips lightly. He raised a hand to grab whatever was on his face, but he felt a hand. His eyes flew open and he was staring up at Saria, whose face was cool and unmoved. She blinked and looked away.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't help it. Does it bother you?"

Mido smiled and reached for her hand, putting it back on his lips.

"No, not at all. This feels nice."

Mido closed his eyes and enjoyed the soft fingers tracing his lips and facial features. It tickled when her hand reached towards his neck but it went back up to his face. The hand rested on his lips and then stopped. Mido opened his eyes and almost jumped because he was inches away from Saria, who was suddenly lying beside him.

"_When did she do that? I could've sworn she was sitting to my right, and now she is lying down to my left."_

"Saria? What are you doing?" Weren't you going to tell me the 'hint' when we got here? I'm waiting."

As soon as Mido finished his sentence, Saria nudged in closer and kissed him lightly. His face turned pink and he tried to turn away but Saria held a hand to hold him in place while the other hand took off his hat and tangled in his hair. She kissed him more fervently and moved closer to him, but Mido struggled to push away. He gasped for air and tried fruitlessly to turn away, but Saria still had a hold on him. He seized her hands and pushed them away while he regained his breath.

"Wha…what are you doing? Why are you doing this?"

He was still pink and air-headed as he said it, even with a smile on his face.

"What's wrong? I thought you liked me. I'm just returning my feelings for you."

She started to move in again but Mido reluctantly held her back.

"Is this how you show your affections?"

Saria looked away, and blushed. A second later, she looked back but her face looked worried. She furrowed her eyebrows and her lips pouted. _"She looks so cute when she does that,"_ thought Mido.

"You don't like it when I show my affections? I like you…a lot. Everything I said before about not liking you was a lie. I was too shy to show my feelings, so I hid behind Link."

"So that was all…?"

"Yeah."

"All right, then. Let's keep this a secret from the others."

"You read my mind. I don't want anyone else finding out about us."

*back to Link and company*

"A-a-a-are w-w-w-w-we th-there y-y-yet?" asked Crystal inbetween shivers.

"Shhhh!!! Th-th-they'll h-hear us!" whispered Rubi.

Link was already ahead of them, swimming full speed with the current that was bringing them to Lake Hylia. The water was relatively cold; it was midnight, the best time to move around undetected and it was a new moon. The only people they had to worry about were the Gerudos guarding the bridge that was getting farther away and the ever-closer scientist in Lake Hylia. Before they got into the water, Crystal and Rubi had to put all their electronics into Crystal's backpack because it was waterproof, even submerged in water. It sank anyways because of the weight. Link already decided to go ahead of them in case something attacked so Crystal and Rubi were struggling to carry it plus swim. The current helped, though. Link swam ahead, keeping an eye on the monsters that could pop out at them and the other on the entrance to the Zora's Domain. The depth was three or four meters (nine to twelve feet). This wasn't a problem for Link, who had experience in diving but Crystal and Rubi had yet to dive this deep. _"Do they know how to dive? Can they dive this deep? If they can't, I'll teach them quickly or drag them under one by one. I hope Rubi knows what she's doing, because it's been a week since Saria…since she…Rubi better get it right, otherwise I'll be doomed and the travel will have been for nothing."_

"Rubi! Crystal! You can speak regularly now. I've checked the area and it looks like no one will bother us for now. What's taking you so long, anyway? Your bag can't be _that_ heavy to drag with the current--"

Before his words were out, they were cut off by the small waterfall ahead. He disappeared from Rubi and Crystal's view. With a splash, he fell into the water and almost sprang back up, yelling "GREAT FAIRIES, THIS IS COLD!!! We have to rush to shore or else we'll freeze here!!!"

He began to swim forward towards shore, but Rubi and Crystal already got the warning while he fell off the waterfall. The distance between them was several feet. They started paddling furiously to the side of the river and got there just before reaching the waterfall. Crystal was farther behind, so she let go of the bag and clawed into the riverbank, trying not to be taken over the waterfall by the current. Rubi caught the bag and with a great heave, threw it over her head at the riverbank. It landed right at the edge, a few feet from Crystal. A split-second later, Rubi fell over the waterfall. If she thought the water was cold before, it was nothing compared to the lake. Her head went underwater for a brief second and she almost shot up in the air.

"AAAAAHHHHHHHH IT'S SO C-C-C-COOOLD!!!!!!"

Rubi almost froze while trying to keep afloat. Her teeth chattered and her skin looked paler than ever. Meanwhile, Link was halfway to shore, struggling to keep moving. _"If there's anything that keeps you warm, it's moving around. Why isn't it working now? I'm so cold I think my fingers and toes got frostbite. I'll use Din's Fire to keep me warm once I get to shore."_

Crystal was already walking towards where Link was headed to, but she was also shivering very much because of the light breeze. Her teeth chattered loud enough to be heard fifty feet away. Her knees shook hard, her entire frame shook from the cold. She struggled to put one foot in front of the other till she could bear it. _"Damn it. I'm so cold I think I shrank a few sizes. I'll have to move around more to get warmer."_

With that, she broke into a run, ignoring all the nerve endings in her body that screamed "Stop! Too cold!" and kept running to where Link was headed. Rubi was still far behind, but she was also swimming with all her might. It was now a test of mind-over-matter for her. She has never been in water this cold before. She was always in water that was within ten degrees of room temperature. This felt like someone put in a block of ice. It's a wonder there haven't been any ice formations. The water was pitch black, so that added to the adrenaline Rubi was feeling because she didn't like swimming in dark water. She felt like something would pull her under or attack her, but this was silly.

"_This is Lake Hylia. LAKE Hylia. Not Sea of Hylia or Hylia Ocean. Just an oversized pond…that's probably twenty or fifty meters deep…just keep swimming, Rubi. You can do it. Look, Link's ahead of you. Instead of fearing for your life, try to picture Adult Link in trunks or nothing at all--and he'll be waiting for you at the shore so you can--"_

Before Rubi could think any further, something popped up close by and almost gave her a heart-attack. Her scream filled the empty silence for a second before she realized she was giving away her location to possible monsters. Rubi clamped her hands over her mouth to stop her from screaming but she was sinking underwater; she took advantage of those few seconds to scream her lungs out while trying to stay afloat. The thing that popped up wasn't an Octorok or a Zora, it was a fish that just got a hold of some soaked crackers that floated from Rubi's pocket. It swam away, scared to hear such a loud noise.

Link and Crystal simultaneously turned to Rubi's direction. Both were wide-eyed, frozen in their tracks. Crystal was the first to yell, "Rubi? Rubi!!! What happened?" She was frozen in place, but still shook from the cold. Link was trying to float and look at Rubi, but the water was beginning to affect him. _"Damn it! This isn't good. What happened to Rubi? Is she alright?"_ Before he could get the words out, Rubi answered, "I'm f-fine! I-I-I-it w-w-was j-just a f-f-fish! It g-got my c-crackers!!!" Silence occupied the lake once more. It seemed like forever till Crystal broke the silence.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!! Damn it, Rubi!!! Almost gave us a heart-attack!!! Link's probably thinking the same thing, isn't that right Link?" No answer.

Link was swimming in the wrong direction. He wasn't swimming towards shore, but in the opposite direction towards Rubi. Both girls stared as Link made his way toward her. There was a significant distance between them, so he would get tired by the time he made it to Rubi. As he was swimming, Link reached for something in his tunic. He couldn't see in the dark water so he relied on his sense of touch to find what he needed. Rubi was close enough to see that he pulled out an oval-shaped object. Its features were hard to tell but it was clear to see that it was pale with two black holes on it.

"_What did Link pull out?" _thought Rubi. She instantly recognized the object as Link put it to his face and he disappeared into the dark water. In a few seconds, his figure was replaced by the water. A figure was coming towards Rubi at full speed. The creature's features were long, sleek and…green. _"No way! There's no way he could have--!!"_ Rubi's thoughts were interrupted by a splash. The creature's head popped up and growled, "Hold onto my back. Now!" It didn't take a second time for Rubi to respond as she clung onto the familiarly shaped body. The water began to move faster beneath Rubi, and before she knew it, she was sailing through the water. Crystal seemed to be getting nearer every time Rubi blinked. The look on Crystal's face was priceless. Her jaw was gaping and her eyes were wide open. She was shivering and pointing at them while holding onto the backpack. In less than a minute, the creature stopped and stood up. This meant they were on dry land. Rubi let go of his back but walked around to face him. He stared back, with his chest heaving in and out as if he swam the English Channel. "Are you ok?" he asked. Rubi nodded a "yes" and he said, "Good." His body gave way beneath him as he fell to the sand. Rubi caught him before he hit the ground, but it took all of her remaining strength to set him down on his back so he could recover. She stared at the creature for what seemed forever, tracing over its features. There was no doubt in her mind as she concluded that he was a Zora. From the belt to the boots, to the green hat and half-tunic. This was Link in Zora form.

"Rubi! Is he alright?" yelled Crystal, as she caught up to where the other two were. She approached the Zora slowly, not wanting to make loud noises. "I think he's passed out, so you can walk normally," said Rubi.

"I know that, but did you see it? Link transformed into a ZORA!!! I thought that it was only possible in Majora's Mask!!!" Crystal looked over the body, with incredulity in her eyes.

"Yes, I know that. Don't you remember what Link said? He came back from Majora's world so he must've taken some masks as souvenirs. The Zora mask is probably one of them. Damn him. Why did he have to make us suffer like this when he had the Zora mask? He would've taken both of us to shore in a matter of minutes!!! Ugh…oh well. We're here now and that's what matters. But he's passed out, and both of us are freezing to death. Do you think we should risk talking to the scientist? It couldn't hurt to ask for a place to stay, given that we're in this condition."

Crystal set down the bag and opened it, looking for something till she took out what looked like a blanket.

"Crystal? W-where did y-you get th-th-that?"

"It w-was something I packed b-b-before we came. I bought it off one of th-the Gerudos when w-w-we were passing through."

"You had that all along and only NOW you remember to take it out?"

"It's not f-for you, it's for L-Link. He's already p-passed out s-so we should be able to c-carry him with the blanket. It's strong."

Crystal reached over to touch Link's Zora skin, and ran her fingers over his arm. To her, the skin was smooth. Even when she ran it up and down to try to find scales, there was nothing. Just smooth skin. She lifted her hand from him and went to touch his cheek. The Zora's face seemed humanlike, but its features were still those of a fish. Link looked more like Mikau than a regular Zora.

"If you're done groping him, then help me get him in this blanket now."

Crystal shot Rubi a dark look. Her grimace slowly curved up into a smile and her eyes lightened up.

"You'd do the same thing if you were alone with him. I bet you were groping his chest as he took you here." As Crystal spoke, Rubi's face turned from pale to pink.

"I did _not_!!! I had to hang on or else he'd leave me behind! Whatever, just help me get him in the blanket before we all freeze to death."

The girls proceeded to roll Link over on the sand till he was in the blanket that Crystal spread out. His limp body was positioned to look like he was lying on his back, with his arms to their sides--like a sardine. Crystal got the corners of the blanket where Link's head rested while Rubi got the corners that were on both sides of Link's feet. With a heave, they pulled him up and walked towards the scientist's cabin. Crows circled them but didn't come near, since every few seconds Crystal would pause to throw a rock at them.

"_Damn it, Link! Why are you so heavy?"_ thought Rubi. She looked down at the sleeping boy and thought about touching his hand but if she did that, he would fall to the sand. The night continued, with silence to occupy it.

The scientist was busy with some experiment involving transferring a red liquid to a flask containing a clear substance. The red liquid spread like wildfire in the flask, turning the solution completely red.

"Ah, what a lovely color! And now, I must test it."

He took the flask to a table that had a bowl of pancakes. He slowly poured the red substance onto one of the pancakes and put down the flask. He took a knife and fork and cut off a piece when he heard someone knocking on the door.

"Who could it be at this time of night?" he wondered, as he put down his utensils. He went to open the door and saw three youths. A girl in foreign attire and light blue hair, a boy in a green tunic--not to mention he was being carried in a blanket--and another girl with Gerudo clothes and dark hair. The girls seemed to be shivering violently. The girl in front bowed to let down the boy. She straightened herself up and addressed the scientist.

"H-hello. My n-name is Crystal, and h-her name is R-R-Rubi, and this is L-Link. W-We just came in and w-we didn't h-have a place to s-stay so we were wondering if y-you could l-let us stay h-here for the night." The girl pleaded with her eyes and bowed her head.

Crystal looked down at the floor and couldn't help but smirk. _"Nice thinking, Rubi. If you hadn't taken off Link's mask, we would've had trouble explaining this. The old man didn't suspect anything."_

Rubi had stopped in order to take off the mask so there wouldn't be any suspicions once they got to the scientist. She knew she had to put both his hands on the sides of his face, so he could revert back to his Hylian body.

_(will be updated soon)_


End file.
